This invention relates to supports for coverings of glass doors and windows, and more particularly to supports for horizontal blinds and shades that enable the user to move the blind laterally to enable full access to the window or door without raising the blinds.
There are two types of blinds for covering windows and glass doors, vertical blinds and horizontal blinds. Blinds are made up of a plurality of vanes that rotate about parallel axes. When rotated in a first direction, they overlap to close off the light. When rotated in a second direction they open to admit light. An opening control pulls all of the axes together, exposing some or all of the door or window. All of the axes of vertical blinds are disposed vertically. The opening control can pull all of the vanes laterally to one side of the door or window to enable full access for egress, ingress, or cleaning. All of the axes of the vanes of horizontal blinds are disposed horizontally. The opening control raises the vanes. There are shades of different types that also open by lifting the bottom edge upward, which will herein also be termed horizontal blinds. Sliding glass doors are commonly eighty to ninety inches tall. To raise the horizontal blinds this high is difficult. Consequently, vertical blinds are favored for this application. However, horizontal blinds have many advantages, and are increasing in popularity. The window operator may be more readily accessed with horizontal blinds. It is awkward to have vertical blinds for the doors and horizontal blinds for the windows. It would be useful to have a means for moving a horizontal blind laterally to provide access to the door without raising the blinds.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a system for mounting conventional horizontal blinds that would enable them to be readily moved laterally to enable full access to the window or door. The term horizontal blinds as used herein is meant to refer to obscuring covers for glazed openings such as glass windows and doors, in which the covers open by raising from the bottom. It is another object that the mounting system not interfere with the normal operation of the blind. It is yet another object that the system be readily adapted to the mounting of horizontal blinds of diverse manufacture. It is yet another object that the mounting system be readily installed by means well known in the art.
The system of the invention comprises planar surfaces to which the blinds are mounted with their usual wall mounting hardware. The support system of the invention comprises a sliding embodiment in which the blind on its planar surface slides laterally to enable access to the glass window or door opening.
An alternative embodiment of the invention comprises a system in which side by side blinds are mounted on hinged planar surfaces with a control that causes the two blinds to fold together and to one side like a bi-fold closet door.